During a meeting with The Grand community last week, I heard a member say:
“I feel guilty my new apartment has more bathrooms than my parent’s house.”
I know that exact feeling.
For me, it stems from a deep-seated belief that I’ve carried for the majority of my life — resources are limited, and I shouldn’t take more than my share.
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, calls this belief scarcity mentality. It’s a mindset where you view resources as a finite pie 🥧, and a belief that if you take a big piece of pie, you will leave less for everyone else.
I’ve noticed many of my friends who are immigrants have been conditioned to have a scarcity mentality. As we’ve gained personal achievements and success, we feel increasingly guilt-ridden. A small voice in the back of our minds questions if we deserve a big slice of pie and if we’ve taken too much pie away from others.
It took me a long time to unlearn this mentality. I’d read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and learned in theory, one can shift from a scarcity to an abundance mentality. But it wasn’t until my Grand Quest on Becoming an Effective Manager where I was prompted to confront my limiting beliefs, and I was finally able to unravel myself from this mindset.
According to my Grand facilitators Cristina Georgoulakis and Mindy Zhang:
Limiting beliefs are false or negative beliefs an individual has about themselves, others, or the world around them. They hook us and prevent us from being the best we can be.
When we have limiting beliefs about ourselves, we avoid taking risks, experimenting, and learning. When we hold limiting beliefs about others, especially as their managers, we unintentionally block their growth.
After learning about limiting beliefs, I wrote mine down and talked through a few scenarios out loud.
Would raising more money for The Grand result in less capital for other founders?
No.
Would promoting one person on my team result in less opportunities for other team members?
No.
If I knew these situations to be false, why did I still carry this belief? Could I shift my mindset to one of abundance, where there is plenty of pie and bathrooms available for everyone? Yes!
Naming and reframing my limiting beliefs about the world allowed me to view my work and my team from a place of abundance, growth, and expansion. It is one of the most beneficial shifts I’ve made in my personal and professional development this year.
I’d encourage you to reflect on your limiting beliefs.
What are some beliefs you carry?
How might you test these beliefs to see if they are still true for you?
How could you explore alternative possibilities or reframe your beliefs?
To grow and expand as a manager and leader, join the next cohort of Becoming an Effective Manager. Applications close in a week on July 14th.
I’d love to hear your responses to the reflection questions, and what they unlock for you. Write me any time by replying to the email or DMing us on twitter.
💌
Rei